Author Archives: Paloma Kubiak

Twelfth Night or What You Will, by William Shakespeare

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Twelfth NightEither my education’s failed me or I’ve failed my education as this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing the great William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will.

 

A production by the Pell Mell Theatre Company at The Space on the Isle of Dogs, I had no preconceptions of what the play was about, let alone how it compared to the written word or other stage adaptations.

 

Twelth Night came across as organised chaos – entertainers with painted faces stretched, performed, laughed and mocked the other characters and we never quite know whether they’re visible to all on stage or if they just act as a narrative device to help the audience’s understanding.

 

At times they were comedic in their moves, at other times they were somewhat distracting pacing about the stage while the audience tried to keep up with the main characters.

 

I was glad to see Shakespeare’s chief ploys of gender swapping and love triangles present.

 

Orsino pines for Lady Olivia, but she’s ironically hypnotised by Orsino’s page boy, Cesario, a woman who’s disguised herself as a man. And Cesario – aka Viola – is in love with Orsino.

 

The play is predominantly set at Lady Olivia’s home, where we meet her outspoken maid Maria, her pompous chief servant Malvolio and where her uncle, Sir Toby, roams the corridors after late night drinking sessions.

 

We also meet Feste, the fool who is wickedly honest and surprisingly witty and who shone through his thickly painted face.

 

As the love triangle heightens and madness has descended on the cast as the once disinterested Cesario has now wed Lady Olivia, is forced to fight Sir Andrew who’s also trying to win Olivia’s heart, and comes to blows with his/her master Orsino who believes he’s been betrayed, Sebastian enters.

 

The long lost twin brother of Cesario/Viola stands in front of the whole cast and all is now made clear. The way Sebastian was revealed and the way we saw each of the characters seem to realise the truth was a great strategy.

 

And though the play’s a little farcical as Lady Olivia is happy to have wed the male counterpart of Cesario, it was heart-warming to see Cesario revealed as a female – as she’s able to declare her love for her master, Orsino.

 

Viola, played by Ella Garland, was truly fantastic – she had the right mix of authority and playfulness for the role.

 

You couldn’t help but warm to Malvolio, played by Andrew Seddon, who paraded around in a grand suit before dressing in yellow stockings in the belief this would win the heart of Lady Olivia.

 

The actual play was simple in terms of props, and I think this was the right move, as the costumes were majestic and the lighting and music filled the stage.

 

Twelfth Night is showing at The Space until 8 August – tickets are available from https://space.org.uk.

 

 

 

Ling Ling in Mykonos, at Hakkasan, Hanway Place

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Ling Ling in Mykonos, at Hakkasan, Hanway PlaceThe first of the Hakkasan realm of restaurants, Hanway Place plays host to a celebration of food, drink and dance (known as the Izakaya concept) with its limited edition summer menu.

 

Mirroring the dishes launched in Hakkasan, Mykonos in Greece, diners will be able to opt for one of three choices from the Ling Ling menu:

 

–         Fish and seafood

–         Meat and seafood

–         Vegetarian.

 

And this week we sampled the variety of Cantonese-style dishes which are “perfect for island living and late night revelry”.

 

But on our own English island and in the heart of London, the vibe was fun, the food had flair and the drinks were flowing. While we sipped on bubbly, a signature cocktail to accompany the dishes has also been released – the Ling Ling Collins.

 

My favourite was the grilled Chilean seabass in honey, oozing with taste and textures. The seabass slithered on the tongue; it was smoky yet sweet which contrasted with the crispy deep fried mushroom nestled on top.

 

Next the spicey prawn with lily bulb and almond left an explosion in the mouth – hot but moreish and the plump prawn was beautifully juicy.

 

The homemade pumpkin tofu was deep-fried and a rather nice alternate dish among the seafood dishes. Crispy on the outside and squidgy on the inside, there was just the right hint of pumpkin to mask the distinctive flavour of the tofu.

 

And the steamed dim sum platter of scallop shumai came beautifully presented in the bamboo steamer.

 

The array of macarons were a feast for the eyes, each with their own distinct flavour. I bit into a pink macaron which radiated flowery tastes in the palate, a rose-water-like tang.

 

And I also sampled a macaron filled with sweet chocolate, ending the evening on a sugary high.

 

The limited edition Ling Ling summer menu will be available at Hakkasan Hanway Place and Mayfair until 31 August, priced at £35/person and £45/person respectively.

 

 

The Diner, Ganton Street, London Review

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The Diner, Ganton Street, London ReviewThe 4th July menu – coined as the “gorge of July” by my accompanying colleague – is not elegant or pretty or petite, but that’s its huge selling point.

Generous portions with lashings of gooey cheese and chocolate leave you licking your fingers, wiping your mouth and hoping you don’t have to carry on a conversation while you’re trying to chomp your way through a man-size burger.

The Diner is right in the middle of tourist hotspot slash hippy-heaven Carnaby Street but it has a warm and homely feel to it as the walls are covered in mock wood cladding and American-style booth seating areas line the restaurant.

As part of the special Independence Day menu which will only be available on 4 July, we started off with the Frito pie – a bag of frito corn chips topped with beef chilli, sour cream, jalapeños and coriander.

It nestled inside a crisp-packet-like wrapper and we were told this was a popular snack ordered by American football fans during half-time.

The beef was tender and stringy, a bit like pulled pork and each mouthful had a real kick to it.

Next we sampled the Chicken skins – shredded BBQ chicken potato skins with Monterey Jack sour cream and jalapeno. Beautifully greasy, the potato skins were well done and the smokey chicken pieces complemented the cooling sour cream.

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The Diner, Ganton Street, London Reviewburger

For our mains, we had the Taco crunch burger – an 8oz brisket burger cooked pink (though the staff were accommodating when I asked for mine to be cooked a little more well done) with queso cheese sauce, crisp tortillas and caramelised onions.

Meaty and filling, the burger was a real hit with myself and my friend, and this dish seemed to have a Jewish influence as the brisket was topped with a lightly toasted brioche bun.
Apparently the chief operating officer at The Diner loves Jewish food after he was inspired by the cooking-style and recipes during a trip to Miami over the festival of Hanukah.

It was accompanied with a side of corn of the cob which was rolled in lime mayo, grated cheese and chilli powder and it’s spice tingled on my lips.

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Just when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore, the dessert, or S’mores as it’s known, was bought out to our table.

The graham crackers were smothered with melted Nutella and marshmallow and again, there’s no lady-like way to eat this. It was sweet and warm and a great finish to our evening.

Luna Gale at the Hampstead Theatre Review

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Taken by Manuel Harlan

Taken by Manuel Harlan

Luna Gale is undeniably an intelligent, thought-provoking and memorable play which is debuting at the Hampstead Theatre this summer after receiving mass acclaim over in the States.
Playwright Rebecca Gilman expertly draws the audience to judge each character almost immediately, but their thoughts are shown to be misconceptions as the play unwinds.

For it starts off with young couple Karlie and Peter sitting in a doctor’s waiting room; he’s fading in and out of consciousness and she’s twitchy, abusive and violent.

Social worker Caroline tells the couple that their baby daughter, Luna Gale will be taken into care while they seek help for their crystal meth addiction.

At that point, we’ve already judged the couple – dirty drug-taking low life’s who have endangered the life of their vulnerable, innocent baby, which has forced the state to intervene.

And we’ve made up our minds about Caroline too – the veteran social worker – who strives to do things by the book.

But as the play unravels, we warm to Karlie and Peter who show their devotion to each other and in cleaning up their acts to get their daughter back.

At first, Karlie’s mum Cindy is portrayed as a good, stable figure and it’s almost inevitable that Luna Gale will be placed with her grandmother in ‘kinship’, despite Karlie’s protest over this (we learn Karlie had a rocky relationship with her mum).

However, Caroline mocks Cindy’s faith in God and the more she hears Cindy speak of the ‘end’, the less inclined she is to let her have Luna.

That is until the straight-talking Caroline asks Karlie if she was abused as a child which is why she acted out as a teenager. She answers ‘no’ and the curtain closes with Caroline asking ‘but what if it did?’.

In an interview about the production, playwright Rebecca Gilman says the play isn’t dark and she doesn’t want it to seem like a miserable night out.

It covers the disturbing subjects of childhood sexual abuse and drug abuse and Gilbert explains she wanted to bring this to the mainstream stage to show that it can and does happen.
But there are comedic and touching moments too – which would be a shame to reveal here – making Luna Gale a fantastic all-rounder. Directed by Michael Attenborough, the cast were flawless, passionate and truly inspiring in their roles.

Luna Gale is showing at Hampstead Theatre until 18 July.

Face The Music at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, Walthamstow

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhat struck me most about the All Star Productions cast was how much each actor seemed to enjoy their time on stage, despite the show being set against the backdrop of the ‘Great Depression’.

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Face The Music, originally written by Moss Hart with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, has been resurrected for a twenty-first century audience at the Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre in Walthamstow, but it maintains the character, costume and camaraderie of 1930’s America.

The play centres on the ‘make or break’ theatre show to be directed by Hal Reisman, but in an age of austerity, he struggles to find the financial backing to get the show on the road.

Spurred on by love’s young dream, Kit Baker (Joanna Hughes) and Pat Mason (Alessandro Lubrano), the three meet with bent copper Meshbesher and his eccentric wife Myrtle who are only too happy to splash the cash in a bid to avoid having their haul discovered by the government.

In fact the more the play’s a failure – they’re happy to sink 800,000 dollars into the production – the happier the couple are, as it will cover their dodgy money trail.

And so a round of auditions ensues which sees jazz hands, tap dancing and catchy sing-alongs such as ‘On a roof in Manhattan’, ‘My beautiful rhinestone girl’ and ‘If you believe’.

I particularly enjoyed the relationship between plain PC O’Rourke (James Holbrooke) and the sultry streetwalker (Joanne Clifton) as she woos him to avoid being sent to prison and instead is given the opportunity to join the cast.

 

However, the play is missing one big thing – sex. As they say, ‘sex sells’ and once the ladies start to strip off, the show is a success, even with the most critical of reviewers.

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Ultimately, the show’s success is the cause of the Meshbesher’s failure, as they’re dragged to court to answer to the charge, of corruption, extortion and embezzlement.

 

Leading lady, Joanna Hughes, had a serene yet authoritative presence on the stage and James Holbrooke’s facial expressions capture each emotion portrayed by his character perfectly.

 

Directed by Brendan Matthews, Face The Music is a fun and enlightening production and a big round of applause should also go to the orchestra tucked away in the corner of the stage area.

 

Face The Music is on at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, Walthamstow until 3 July, tickets available from the box office on 020 8520 8674. Ps, you may want to arrive early to sample the pizza from the make shift hut just outside the pub…

 

 

Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant Review

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Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant Reviewexterrior Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant ReviewsushiCherries are one of my favourite fruits. As a child I loved picking the ripe, deep-red pearls from my grandparents’ garden as I continued to practice handstands on the same patch of fading green grass.

 

So when hearing of the new menu at Sake no Hana (part of the Hakkasan group) to celebrate the Japanese cherry blossom season, I was very much looking forward to the experience.

Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant Reviewcocktail

The evening promised a meal under sweet-smelling cherry blossom trees and behind the somewhat ordinary exterior, we were seated in the bar area, which was alight with blossoming pink flowers.

Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant Reviewfood

We would be dining from the new Sakura Gozen menu (£32) and to get our evening started, we sipped on the violet risshun two-part cocktail, with its fruity and sour blend that got the juices ready for the main.

 

It consisted of a carafe with jinzu gin, green chartreuse, grapefruit juice, shiso, burlesque bitters and in a miniature jug which accompanied the gin, there was belsazar rose vermouth, maraschino cherry, cranberry and lemon juice.

 

Oliver, the charismatic bar manager advised us to start with the jinzu gin before adding the vermouth and the combination stirred both a sweet and sour taste on the palette.

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The white miso soup was steaming hot with slithers of spongy tofu and specks of spring onion. It was wholesome, with a hint of garlic and it was a pleasant starter to the evening.

 

Next, our waitress, Manon bought over the sesame spinach with cassava chips. The spinach was wonderfully slimy and the nutty sprinkle of sesame seeds contrasted with the texture of the wood flavours of the crispy cassava chips.

 

As it made its way to our table, I couldn’t help but wait in anticipation. The Sakura crystal box was simply beautiful. It consisted of kuro kampachi, salmon, seabream sashimi otoro, chu toro, akami nigiri, spicy tuna, salmon avocado and California maki.

 

The translation – succulent strips of prime, fresh fish encasing mouth-size nodules of rice, accompanied with strips of ginger and a green ball of hot wasabi.

 

The raw salmon and sea bream slithered on the tongue and both mine, and my fiancé’s favourite was the spicy tuna slice.

 

We thought the evening was over, until our waitress bought over the baked Sakura cotton cheesecake with fresh cherries, cream cheese and cherry sorbet (£8).

 

Just like the crystal box, the cheesecake was alluring with specks of sweet cherries, slices of crunchy pavlova and it was accompanied by the tangy cold taste of the cherry sorbet.

Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant Reviewdessert Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant Reviewdessertmacaroons

It cleansed the palette while the cherry blossom and vanilla macarons, with cherry blossom tea ganache, (£1.80 each or 5 for £8) was the perfect ending to a fine dining experience in the heart of Mayfair as each bite oozed a rich chocolate flavour in the mouth.

 

At the end of our meal, Oliver showed us around the Grade II listed restaurant just upstairs which boasts a £6 million renovation project.

 

Diners enter via a single escalator and as it’s considered bad luck to go back on yourself, the exit is via an escalator which loops around the other end of the restaurant.

 

I was impressed by the sheer number of customers on a Friday night and by the authentic Japanese decoration that included walls lined with bamboos.

 

The bar area where we dined was quieter and more intimate than the restaurant and we enjoyed a very fine meal in Mayfair (it’s also very reasonably priced), just around the corner from The Ritz.

 

 

The Exhibit, Balham Restaurant Review

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The Exhibit, Balham Restaurant Review–         Location: check

–         Atmosphere: check

–         Great food: check.

 

As a born and bred Londoner, I’m embarrassed to write that I’ve never ventured to the restaurants or bars of Balham.

But yesterday evening, we stepped inside The Exhibit, a pretty venue just round the corner from the station.

On the ground floor we were impressed by the well-stocked bar and an array of colourful cocktails clasped in the hands of the trendy post-work crowd.

We headed one floor up to the dining area and were warmly welcomed by the waiting staff.

I loved the décor; white washed brickwork, glass blocks separating the two distinct dining areas and the open kitchen where you can see the chefs literally cooking up a storm.

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My fiancé Marcin ordered the salmon tartare with guacamole, sesame seeds and soy dressing. The salmon, more red than pink, was smokey while the tang of the soy dressing and delicate taste of the guacamole all fused together beautifully.

I opted for the pulled pork terrine with chef’s piccalilli and the stringy pork had a char flavour which together with the spice of the piccalilli, was a pleasant starter.

The Exhibit, Balham Restaurant Reviewneckoflamb The Exhibit, Balham Restaurant Reviewribeyesteak

For my main, I fancied trying the 24-hour honey and rosemary marinated lamb neck, with tomato bulgar wheat and aubergine croqueta. Having never tried this cut of the meat (it’s much cheaper than say a shoulder of lamb), I found it to be tender, fairly lean and with a more distinct lamb taste. The aubergine croqueta was crispy and the bulgar wheat was similar to a Mediterranean couscous.

For his main, Marcin chose from the special board – Galloway 32-day aged 8oz ribeye, café de Paris butter and chips. He said cutting into the steak was a real pleasure as the knife seamlessly sliced into the tender, juicy meat which was seared well on the outside while the inside was deliciously pink.

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With a naturally sweet tooth, I plumped for the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice-cream. The sponge was moist, the butterscotch sauce sugary and the vanilla ice-cream provided a refreshing coolness to the palette.

We did swap puddings half way though and I devoured the remains of Marcin’s chocolate and amaretti cake with crème fraiche. It was made of dark chocolate and was intensely rich while the little crispy puffs layered on top added a nice crunch to the bite.

The atmosphere was really chilled, the diners all had a fun vibe and our date night was accompanied by Torrontes white wine – a delicate, crisp and fruity wine which seemed to compliment each of our dishes.

We took a wander around The Exhibit – in one room speed-dating was taking place, while upstairs, it boasts an additional bar and best of all, an intimate plush cinema-come-karaoke room. On its website, The Exhibit prides itself on being “your go-to neighbourhood eating, drinking and entertainment choice for the people of Balham.” I only wish I’d left Clapham, Shoreditch and Camden behind and headed to Balham sooner – whether for post-work drinks, date night or even a sing-along, The Exhibit is a fabulously versatile venue for any event, large or small. No doubt we’ll be returning there soon.

 

 

 

The Queensbury Pub and Dining, Willesden Green

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In the cold air as we walked up to The Queensbury, the decorative lights and laughs from within welcomed and warmed us inside where we were led to the back of the pub to the separate and more formal dining area.

As we were seated, in my head, I kept saying ‘mirror, mirror on the wall’ as one side was wholly decorated with retro mirrors while the back of the room featured wallpaper with rows upon rows of faces. The interior was homely and relaxing and the guests kept coming in throughout the evening to be wined and dined.

1) internal shot gin cured salmon with cucumber relish, caper berries & lemon dressing crispy butternut squash and ricotta risotto balls with pine nuts & sage butter lamb & vegetable stew with colcannon mash

I started off with the crispy butternut squash and ricotta risotto balls with pine nuts and sage butter (£6.50). They were beautifully presented as a trio on the plate, and the individual bundles were surrounded by the sage butter and the flecks of pine nuts.

Perfectly brown and crispy on the outside, inside the risotto rice was sticky and was speckled with a whisper of butternut squash that added a hint of fleshy sweetness.

My fiancé went for the gin cured salmon with cucumber relish, caper berries and lemon dressing (£7.45). The dish was beautifully smoked and the deep-orange slithers had a tangy, moist texture which complemented well against the bitter taste of the capers.

He then plumped for the slow cooked lamb and vegetable stew with colcannon mash (£12.95) from the specials menu. It was a hearty meal delicately spiced and the lamb was very tender. The distinctive smell of the meat was masked by the herbs and spices and the colcannon mash, an old Irish recipe, was sweet, smooth and sour all at the same time.

seared pheasant breast and confit leg with spiced cabbage sweet potato rosti & juniper jus pear bakewell cheesecake with a mulled berry compote sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce & vanilla ice cream

Hoping to be a bit more adventurous, I ordered the seared pheasant breast and confit leg with spiced cabbage sweet potato rosti and a juniper jus (£13.95). The pheasant, a slightly darker, gamier meat to its competitor, the chicken, was again presented perfectly. The deep red of the tangy, soft cabbage against the deep green crispy kale was both pleasant on the eye and on the palette.

For dessert, we ordered the pear bakewell cheesecake with a mulled berry compote (£6.50) and a sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream (£6.50). Every mouthful of the sticky toffee pudding was deliciously wicked and sweet and the blueberries added little bursts of sharpness cutting the sugary rush. The cheesecake was a refreshing twist to the cold American classic and you could really taste the grainy flavour of the pears.

Throughout our three courses, Saul, the assistant manager and our waiter for the evening, was polite, friendly and knowledgeable.

We don’t venture out much to north London as we live in the south east, but we had a lovely evening at The Queensbury. The voices and laugher remained as we made our way back to the station heading for home.